Hamilton young castnee



(No Model.)

" H. Y. GASTNER.

PROCESS OF MAKING GYANIDS.

No. 577,837. PatentedMar. 2, 1897 m: uonms perms cOv, PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHXNG'ION n. c.

ATENT OFFICE.

HAMILTON YOUNG CASTNER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PROCESS OF MAKING CYANIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,837, dated March 2, 1897..

Application filed July 5, 1894. $erial N0. 516 ,612- (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAMILTON YOUNG CAST- NER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Abchurch Lane, in the city of London, England, have invented a certain new and useful Improvem entin the Manufacture of Oyanids, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process for the formation of alkali cyanids by the direct combination of free nitrogen with carbon either in its natural or nascent state in the presence of and with an alkaline metal.

Many processes have been suggested for the production of cyanids based on the known fact that nitrogen in the presence of a heated mixture of an alkali or alkaline earth and carbon will enter into combination with and form cyanid of the alkali or alkaline earth. In carrying out such a process carbon has usually been mixed or saturated with either the carbonate or hydrate of the alkali desired, and such mixture has then been intensely heated in a current of nitrogen. This process has never met with any commercial success, as the loss of alkali is large from volatilization, owing to the high temperature required. The yield of combined nitrogen as cyanid is relatively small, owing to the presence of carbonic oxid and acid produced during the operation tending to destroy the cyanid as it is formed, and, moreover, the cyanized charcoal requires further treatment to obtain the cyanid in some marketable form.

When substituting for the alkali in the above-mentioned process either carbonate or oxid of baryta, the methodfor many reasons has not been found commercially practical, although the cyanid of that metal is much more readily formed under like conditions.

The object of my invention is to overcome the objections above set forth; and to these ends it consists in causing the previouslyprepared molten alkali metal to pass through 13, provided with an inlet-pipe terminating in a hopper O of the form as shown, pipes D, E and F and a bottom opening H of the form as shown.

In carrying on the operation of the process the retort, which is heated to redness, is charged, preferably, with wood charcoal, and a small quantity of sodium or potassium cyanid is placed in the bend H, which on melting forms a seal preventing the escape of any nitrogen or the ingress of air. Nitrogen free of oxygen or oxygen compounds is admitted at E, and metallic sodium being placed in the hopper O melts, owing to the heat passing to it from the retort, and flows gradually down the retort through the heated charcoal while the nitrogen ascends, any unabsorbed gas escapingatD. Under the conditions here mentioned the sodium, carbon, and nitrogen directly combine. The resulting cyanid melts and flows from the retort through the outlet H into the receptacle K. Charcoal from time to time, as necessary, is charged into the retort through the pipe F. Any escaping nitrogen through D is passed into a second retort. It will be apparent that the same result may be obtained by filling the retort with any inert material, as, for example, fragments of iron or porcelain which will retard the flow of molten metal and at the same time expose a large surface to theinfluence of the ascending gases, which in this case would consist of a hydrocarbon and nitrogen. The same result may be obtained by employing an alkaline alloy, as, for instance, an alloy of lead and sodium, the apparatus being modified to suit the particular process employed.

It will also be apparent that the process may be carried on by employing the vapor of an alkaline metal with carbon and nitrogen. It is understood that in the foregoing where sodium is mentioned the same remarks apply to potassium.

What I claim is- 1. The improvement in the manufacture of alkali cyanids, consisting in causing the previously-prepared molten alkali metal to percolate or pass in a fine state of division through previously-heated carbon or hydrocarbon vapor in the presence of a current of free nitrogen, substantially as set forth.

2. The improvement in the manufacture of alkaline cyanids consisting in heating carbon my hand in the presence of two subscribing to a dull red lieat, tliin 1adnnitt-ii rlg1 paeviouisllywitnesses. prepared mo ten a a ine me a roug a T trapped inlet, and conducting the alkaline HAMILTON XOUNG CASTNER' 5 cyanids formed by the reaction out through a "Witnesses:

trapped outlet, substantially as described. PHILIP M. J USTICE,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set JAMES BoLEs. 

